Reincarnation
by jnicweb
Summary: Different times Arthur has been reincarnated, and how Merlin deals with the arrogant prat who refuses to remember his past.
1. Chapter 1

**So this will be a series of unrelated one-shots about the different times that Arthur has been reincarnated.**

Merlin should have figured it wouldn't be this easy. Nothing ever was when it came to the pompous blond. Arthur couldn't have made it convenient for Merlin because it wasn't in his nature. If Merlin wanted it, he had to work for it. Which is why Arthur couldn't have the same name as he did all those years ago. Or the same occupation, because no one really had a need for a king nowadays. All the other times Arthur had come back Merlin had been relatively close to where Arthur had returned. Merlin had just happened across him walking in the streets, or accidentally knocked him over in the grocery store, or had awkwardly saved him from a blind date (that had been an interesting one…). Not this time. Merlin had to actually search for Arthur. All of the other times Merlin had gotten a strange tingling sense in the part of his brain where he imagined his magic lived. He always knew when Arthur had been brought back, because the connection between them was so strong, even his magic recognized it as something tangible. The tingling alerted him to Arthur's presence, so he usually stayed in one spot until Arthur made his appearance. But this time was somehow different. Merlin felt the strange feeling, but day after day, week after week, and Arthur still didn't show his face.

So with nothing but a vague picture of what Arthur had looked like the last time, and a vivid memory of his attitude, Merlin had to look at various people's permanent files to find someone who matched Arthur's description and personality. Obtaining the files had been easy; a simple replication spell had done the job. Getting them home had been a different story though. He had drawn many weird glances when he had hauled box after box of files up to his tiny apartment. Only after he had dragged them all upstairs did he remember he could have just snapped them up to his room. Now he felt like the idiot Arthur always told him he was.

He had thought it would be hard because half the world has blond hair and blue eyes, but it turns out not many people had that unmistakable royal grace about them. That and the attitude. The "I am better than you and I'm gonna make sure you know it" attitude. Merlin remembered it all too well actually. He had been on the receiving side of it all too often. All the times Merlin was right, but Arthur wanted to save face, so he pretended he was right the entire time, giving no credit to Merlin. While he knew that it wasn't the real Arthur, it still riled him that Arthur felt he needed to put on a mask for his father, his counselors and even his people. He had a good heart, but covered it up with the stubborn, arrogant mask that had suited his purposes perfectly. Arthur made sure no one could, or would ever want to argue with him while he was king. Only Merlin had seen the real Arthur Pendragon, and even that had been almost impossible. Arthur hid his affections for his servant behind chores and insults, which Merlin returned with equal vigor. Multiple times Merlin had been threatened with the stocks, extra chores, no dinner, or worse, because he dared to talk back to the king. He couldn't really believe he was searching out the man who had made his life so difficult all those years ago.

Sighing at this strange turn of events, Merlin straightened his suit (which he had had no idea even how to put on and had to ask the store lady for help, effectively embarrassing him and making sure he could never show his face at the store again), and strolled through the door of a tall, glass building. It had taken ages looking through the files, but eventually, Merlin had found a man who had blond hair and blue eyes who had gotten in trouble often at school for his stubborn attitude. While that was nothing to go on really; tons of people could have gotten in trouble a lot without having the background of King of Camelot, Merlin had felt something pulling him towards the file with the grainy picture of a young man who had come from nothing and made a better life in the business world. This particular man had had a bad background; lived in poverty with his mentally unstable mother and little sister, always going to sleep on an empty stomach, working hard for each and every penny. But he had taken his hard upbringing, and turned it into determination. He got top scores in his grade every year and graduated high school valedictorian. He had gotten into a good college, mostly on whatever scholarships he could get his hands on. He had turned to business as a way to help people like him get what they needed at a fraction of the price. Merlin felt strangely proud of this unknown man who may or may not even be Arthur.

And Merlin had to say he was also impressed with the new life Arthur had. The building didn't look like much on the outside, but on the inside, the floors were dark wood, and marble columns decorated the room. After inquiring at the front desk, Merlin found out Arthur's office was on the top floor and he had to have an appointment to go see him. A little while later he had an appointment with Arthur in ten minutes and the poor receptionist was still under the effects of his memory spell he performed. As soon as he left, she would have no memory of the gangly man who had put his tie on wrong.

It took Merlin the next ten minutes just to find Arthur's office. After several wrong turns and one wrong floor, he found himself in front of the office of a well-known businessman who had blond-ish hair and those piercing blue eyes Merlin remembered. Sighing, he opened the door to the office. _I hope he remembers me this time, _Merlin prayed to whatever omniscient being who cared to listen.

**Yay! So that's the end of this one. I have one more written, but have run out of ideas...if you have any you would like to read, please PM me, or leave me a review. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Just another reincarnation fic for Arthur. Not sure where this fits in the timeline with my other one...**

**Also if you have any ideas for future reincarnation fics let me know.**

Since Arthur's pride and arrogance had come back, it was no surprise that he ended up as a slave owner in this life. Merlin shouldn't have been offended at the blatant disrespect everyone had for servants and slaves in this time period, but he was. As a former servant himself, he felt he shared a special bond with the dark-skinned Africans who had definitely gotten screwed over when destinies were being handed out. Although Arthur had obviously not been the best master, judging by the multiple sleepless, foodless and restless days and nights Merlin had while in his service, Arthur had been like an older brother to Merlin. Albeit, an abusive and self-righteous pig of an older brother, but a brother nonetheless. They had shared a special bond few others had the chance to experience, and Merlin counted himself lucky to have known such a man as Arthur. Their banter and jokes had seemed rude to some, but to them it was the unspoken language of trust and friendship. They looked out for each other, and protected each other. So to see the same man who had sacrificed his own warm blanket for a freezing friend, whipping and beating other men who had the same life and humanity and soul as everyone, made Merlin sick.

He was glad that his senses were dulled now that he no longer lived in Camelot. It seemed he had left something of himself in the kingdom of red and gold. The colors were no longer as bright as they had been when he lived in the small room in the back of the physician's quarters. The smells were no longer as strong as they had been when he was the gangly servant who couldn't really do any chores right, but tried his hardest to please everyone he met. The sounds were no longer as loud as they had been when he was the too-powerful, too-careless, too-naïve warlock who was just trying to fit into the destiny that seemed impossibly large for someone who had come from nothing. If things were the way they used to be, he wouldn't have been able to bear the sounds of whips landing on bare, scarred, dark flesh. Or the sight of blood red smeared on the ground where someone had fallen and didn't get back up. Or the smell of rotting fruit that was a godsend to people who barely got enough food to survive. It was sickening, the injustice of the treatment of these people, who had just been born a different color than others. Merlin knew better than anyone how hard it was to deal with something you didn't have any control over.

His life in Camelot sounded a lot better than the life the slaves had. But Merlin knew the cost of keeping secrets, and constantly being looked down upon because he was just the clumsy servant with ears too big and a smile too wide. If people knew half of what he had done and sacrificed for Camelot and Arthur, he would have been knighted in an instance. But because he achieved those things using magic, instead of a sword, he remained Arthur's loyal, stubborn servant. It certainly took a toll on Merlin, physically and mentally. He had grown quite skinny in his years at Camelot, often times skipping lunch because he couldn't afford to get behind in his chores. He constantly second-guessed himself, wondering if he was saving lives, or condemning them. He was always questioning if he was really protecting Arthur, or exacting his own revenge on people who had betrayed them. The slaves certainly had the worse end of the deal, being beaten physically and emotionally, restricted from even learning how to read. Merlin didn't kid himself that he had half the troubles of the slaves, but on some level, he thought he could understand their quiet suffering and solemn looks that told him they had lost all hope of escaping their inescapable destiny.

How could Arthur have changed so much, from the honorable man who treated everyone as if they were of the same social standing, including a skimpy, good-for-nothing servant, to the sneering jerk who treated everyone like dirt under his shoes? What happened to the man who would have ridden through hell and back for someone he considered a friend, to turn him into the type of person who would spit at others like they were something less than human? What happened to his friend who would have gladly risked his life for the lowest of peasants, to make him into this…this _thing _who had no regard for anyone? What had happened to his best friend, his _brother, _who had consistently acted as though he didn't care, but secretly had the biggest heart of anyone, that had made that same heart shrink until it was two sizes too small? What happened to the man Merlin had trusted with his life, to turn him into someone he couldn't even recognize?

Merlin wouldn't have ever assumed that he was important enough to influence anyone with his presence, but that's what happened. Without Merlin's pointed remarks and timely jokes and wise advice, Arthur would have turned out the same way as his father; a bully who hunted down people because of their differences, instead of embracing them because of their same hearts. With Merlin by his side, Arthur had grabbed his humanity like a wayward balloon before the memory of his father snatched it away like the wind. Merlin was the glue that held Arthur together after everything had fallen to pieces. In this lifetime, Arthur didn't have the wisdom and advice Merlin had always provided in Camelot. Arthur had to make his way through life unguided by Merlin, and mislead by his father.

But, Merlin did know that he needed to help Arthur become the king the world desperately needed. If he was back, there were things only Arthur could change. And that meant Arthur himself had to change. So, taking a deep breath, Merlin emerged from his hiding place where he had stayed for a couple of days when he got the feeling that Arthur was back. _I hope he remembers me this time, _he prayed to whatever or whoever cared to listen to the prayer of a centuries old warlock, who didn't really hold out any hope that this time his prayers would be answered.


End file.
